He Left the Game for a Funeral — But It’s Whose Funeral That Sparked the Firestorm?
As Matt Shaw stepped up to the plate at Citi Field Tuesday night, fans expected baseball talk. Stats, swing mechanics, maybe a highlight from last week. Instead, the conversation in the SNY broadcast booth took a sharp turn — and it had nothing to do with sports.
Veteran New York Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen paused to comment on Shaw’s recent absence from the Chicago Cubs lineup. But it wasn’t the absence itself that drew attention. It was why Shaw missed Sunday’s game — and who the funeral was for.
And just like that, a quiet personal decision turned into a loud public controversy.
Cohen didn’t mince words.
“I don’t want to talk about any of the politics of it,” he said, “but the thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency really strikes me as weird.”
His co-host, former Mets catcher Todd Zeile, echoed the concern — calling Shaw’s absence “unprecedented,” especially because the team initially didn’t disclose where he was.
“I don’t want to talk about any of the politics of it, but the thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency, really strikes me as weird.”
– Mets Broadcaster Gary Cohen on Matt Shaw attending Charlie Kirk’s memorialHe was… pic.twitter.com/ZbkhH5S4Ho
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) September 24, 2025
The backlash was instant.
Social media lit up with reactions, not just from Cubs fans but from a wide swath of people who questioned why the broadcasters were focused on that instead of what Shaw had actually said about his decision.
Because the funeral? It wasn’t just for a friend. It was for Charlie Kirk — the conservative activist who was assassinated during a speaking event in Utah earlier this month.
And Shaw? He says Kirk wasn’t just a friend — he was a spiritual brother.
@SNYtv I hope you say something to Gary Cohen, what an incredibly stupid thing to say about Matt Shaw attending Charlie Kirk’s Funeral.
Baseball is a children’s game, not to mention the cubs already were in the playoffs. He looks like an absolute POS tonight for that comment
— Angelo Martinez (@Angel0Martinez3) September 24, 2025
Hey Gary Cohen, it’s none of your business that Matt Shaw went to Charlie Kirk’s memorial service. They were friends. Why is this an issue?@Mets maybe don’t have this idiot talk about players on other teams. He should worry about the Mets. #Moron https://t.co/wORqaJXRCt
— Ghostwriter1981 (@GhostWriter1981) September 24, 2025
Shaw explained he met Kirk in Arizona during the offseason. They lived in the same complex and bonded through their shared Christian faith. Over time, they kept in touch. So when Shaw found out that Kirk had been gunned down, he says it hit him hard — and skipping the memorial simply wasn’t an option.
“My connection with Charlie was through our faith,” Shaw said. “That’s something that drives me every day… so whatever backlash comes is OK.”
Shaw said Erika Kirk — Charlie’s widow — personally asked him to attend the memorial in Glendale. After discussing it with Cubs manager Craig Counsell and several teammates, Shaw made the call: He’d go.
Cubs leadership backed him up.
Still, the public didn’t find out about Shaw’s absence until it became clear he wasn’t in the dugout for Sunday’s game against the Reds. The team lost 1–0.
It didn’t take long before people started asking: Where was he? And once the answer surfaced, so did the opinions.
But Shaw, at just 23, didn’t dodge the moment.
“I just want to make sure I can give back to people,” he said. “That I can support people around me… the same way I’ve been blessed.”
For many watching, the bigger story wasn’t a rookie missing a game. It was a young man standing firm on something deeper — and the ripple effect that created.
Meanwhile, the Cubs issued a tribute of their own, calling for an end to “all political violence” and honoring Kirk as a lifelong fan of the team. They didn’t comment further on Shaw’s decision.
